Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Drunken driving mars Onam revellery

G Anand

Three killed, 32 injured since Friday in the district

Thiruvananthapuram: At least one person was killed and many injured in two-wheeler accidents involving drunken drivers in the district in the past five days. Most of the accident victims were Onam merry-makers.

On Saturday night, two young revellers were critically injured when the motorbike on which they were travelling dashed against a van near Vellayambalam. One of them died at the Medical College Hospital (MCH) on Wednesday. The other was battling for his life at the hospital's critical care unit. Eyewitnesses told the police that the youth were holding liquor bottles aloft and driving recklessly.

According to the police, three persons were killed and 32 injured in accidents in the city since September 1. Thirty-nine cases of drunken driving and 79 cases of rash and negligent driving were reported.

However, the police figures hardly reflected the real extent of drunken driving and other alcohol related offences that occurred this Onam. Compared to past years, liquor consumption had touched an all time high this season in Kerala. The State has the highest per capita consumption of liquor in the country.

From August 29 to September 5, liquor worth Rs.98 crore was sold in Kerala. The Kerala State Beverages Corporation said there was a significant increase of Rs.14.21 crore in liquor sales this year compared to the previous season. The sale of liquor touched Rs.11.5 crore in the district.

The heavy consumption was in a way mirrored in the situation at the MCH causality wing on "Thiruvonam" day. Several persons injured in drunken brawls and accidents caused by reckless driving started trickling in from 4 p.m. onwards.

Many of those who accompanied the patients were also drunk, resulting in unruly scenes in the hospital. By 11 p.m., the MCH had handled at least 50 admissions of such nature. T. Gopinathan, who manned the enquiry counter that night, said the security staff and doctors had a difficult time managing the drunks.

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